These are all words for talking about what sb/sth intends to do or achieve. 以上各词均指意图、目的、目标。

• purpose what sth is supposed to achieve; what sb is trying to achieve 指目的、目标：◆Our campaign's main purpose is to raise money. 我们这次活动的主要目的是募款。
• aim what sb is trying to achieve; what sth is supposed to achieve 指目标、目的：◆She went to London with the aim of finding a job. 她去伦敦是为了找工作。◆Our main aim is to increase sales in Europe. 我们的主要目标是增加在欧洲的销售量。

purpose or aim? 用 purpose 还是 aim？

Your purpose for doing something is your reason for doing it; your aim is what you want to achieve. Aim can suggest that you are only trying to achieve sth; purpose gives a stronger sense of achievement being certain. Aim can be sb's aim or the aim of sth. Purpose is more usually the purpose of sth: you can talk about sb's purpose but that is more formal. * purpose 指做某事的原因，aim 指要达到的目的。aim 可意味着做成某事尚在尝试阶段，purpose 表示达成目标的把握更大。aim 可指某人的目的 (sb's aim)，也可指某事的目的 (the aim of sth)，purpose 更常指做某事的原因 (he purpose of sth)，也可指某人的目的 (sb's purpose)，但这样用较正式。

• intention what you intend to do 指打算、计划、意图：◆I have no intention of going to the wedding. 我无意去参加婚礼。◆She's full of good intentions but they rarely work out. 她虽然处处出于善意，却很少行的通。
• plan what you intend to do or achieve 指计划、打算：◆There are no plans to build new offices. 现在没有建新办公楼的计划。

intention or plan? 用 intention 还是 plan？

Your intentions are what you want to do, especially in the near future; your plans are what you have decided or arranged to do, often, but not always, in the longer term. * intention 尤指近期的打算、意图；plan 通常但不总是指较长远的计划、安排。

• point (rather informal) the purpose or aim of sth 指意图、目的、理由：◆ What's the point of all this violence? 这些暴行的意图何在？◆The point of the lesson is to compare the two countries. 本课的目的是比较这两个国家。
• idea (rather informal) the purpose of sth; sb's aim 指目的、意图：◆The whole idea of going was so that we could meet her new boyfriend. 我们去的唯一目的就是要见她的新男朋友。◆ What's the idea behind this? 这背后的意图是什么？

point or idea? 用 point 还是 idea？

Point is a more negative word than idea. If you say What's the point…? you are suggesting that there is no point; if you say What's the idea…? you are genuinely asking a question. Point, but not idea, is used to talk about things you feel annoyed or unhappy about. * point 比 idea 有更多的否定含义：what's the point ...? 暗指毫无意义；what's the idea ...? 用于真正询问目的。用 point 而非 idea 表示对所谈论的事情感到不快：◆There's no idea in…◆I don't see the idea of…

Patterns

• with the purpose/aim/intention/idea of doing sth
• sb's intention/plan to do sth
• to have a(n) purpose/aim/intention/plan/point
• to achieve/fulfil a(n) purpose/aim